Ephesians

In Paul’s day, Ephesus was a large seaport along the western coast of Asia Minor (Turkey). On its outskirts was located one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the large and beautiful temple of Diana (Artemis). The temple was so important to commercial activity in the area, that opposition to the gospel in Ephesus came from business rather than Jewish elements in the community.

The gospel hurt business

Paul’s proclamation that “they be no gods, which are made with hands” posed a serious threat to the sale of silver Diana shrines. Purchase of the shrines by visiting worshipers of Diana provided merchants with “no small gain” (Acts 19:24-26). As a result,

Demetrius, the silversmith, and his guild launched fierce opposition to the apostle which eventually resulted in Paul’s removal from the area.

Before the intense opposition arose, however, Paul spent three years preaching in the city with significant results. Many who had “used curious arts (sorcery) brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it 50,000 pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed” (v.19-20).

From Ephesus, the gospel went out to many surrounding cities (v.26). As was the case elsewhere, the apostle was concentrating his efforts in a major trading center from which people would carry the Truth back to their home areas. Paul addresses his epistle to the faithful saints in Ephesus and environs from Rome about 60 A.D.

The last visit

The last time members of the ec­clesia had seen Paul was when he called them out to Miletus to meet him in his journey to Jerusalem. At that time, he had warned them of impending problems: “Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (20:29-31).

Evidently, the brethren took Paul’s warning seriously, for 30 years later Christ would write to them: “I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars” (Rev. 2:2). For a generation, at least, the Ephesians had resisted teachers of false doctrine who tried to distort the Truth for their own profit.

Mainly Gentiles

The Ephesians must have been primarily a Gentile ecclesia; before accepting the gospel they were “without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise” (2:12). Now that they were in Christ, the Ephesians could share in the hope of the promises, being “made nigh by the blood of Christ:” they were no more strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints, fellow heirs of blessing, fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (2:13,19; 3:6).

Saints

The epistle is addressed to “the saints which are at Ephesus.” Every true believer is, in scriptural terms, a saint. All of the saints are of “one body and one spirit being called in one hope of your calling” (4:4).

Although of one body, there are many activities in which saints can be engaged. Paul states: “And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (4:11,12). Can we honestly say we are engaged in some of these activities? Although some specific activities are not feasible today, all of us can help to build up one another.

A path to follow

Paul stresses that each saint has a definite path to follow. We can no longer do as we please, but we must be “followers of God as dear children. ..for ye were sometimes dark­ness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (5:1,8).

Before coming to the Truth, we all walked in darkness. Now we have abandoned the sins of darkness; we no longer tread the path of sinners. Let us walk in the light ourselves and firmly resolve to help all that accompany us in the way.

Jesus has set the example for us to follow. As saints, we are joined to him. We are spoken of as his bride and he as our husband. Paul says: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (5:22). As true saints, we will submit to Christ as our head, for “we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (5:30). Our lives must be bound up in his life just as the wife is to be bound up in the life of her husband.

Serve the master

Exhortation is presented in another way when we are told Christ is our master and we must be his servant. Our service, says Paul, should be “Not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (6:6).

Is our service to Jesus and the saints done reluctantly? Do we do it with grudging hearts or is there a sincere desire to help? Jesus said, “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Mt. 23:11). Our worth is measured by our service.

Prepared for problems

If we are true saints, we will be energetic in our service, united with the body and walking in the way of light. Yet even if we do these things, our path to the kingdom will not be easy. To counter problems along the way, we are exhorted to put on a suit of armor “that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day” (6:13-18). The elements of this armor include truth, righteousness, preparation, faith, salvation, the word of God, prayer and supplication. We need to “put on” these attributes if we are to remain faithful in Christ.

Today, the harbor that served Eph­esus is a swamp; only a stump of one column of the great temple has been found; the ecclesia has long since disappeared. But those saints who remained faithful will live again. For in the ages to come, they will see “the exceeding riches of (God’s) grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (2:7).